Armyman says he participated in fake encounters

An armyman on Monday told a military court hearing the fake Siachen killings case that he in August last year demolished a fake "enemy target" at the behest of Major Surinder Singh and later posed as an enemy casualty.
 

Also Read Nayak Bhuwan Bahadur Thapa's deposition Havaldar Neel Bahadur Ale's deposition

He said the entire exercise was repeated in September the same year.

Rifleman Shyam Bahadur Thapa said company commander Major Singh made everybody involved in the operation swear before Lord Hanuman not to reveal the truth to anyone.

"Earlier on August 20 the officer called me and asked me if I could operate a video camera. When I said I did not know how to operate a camera, Major Singh taught me its operation," he said.

When the fake encounter was being enacted, Major Singh, Rifleman Thapa said, asked him to go near the rubble of the 'enemy target' and lie there along the wall.

"He asked me to remove my jacket and cap before going to the demolished fake target and lie there. But when I started
moving with my jacket and cap on, Major Singh abused me in foul language," Thapa said.

"I was also asked by Major Singh to report a technical snag in the first two shots and fire with a rocket launcher to demolish the fake target," he said.

"The drama was re-enacted on September 21," Thapa said.

Rifleman Shyam Bahadur Thapa is the fourth soldier to tell the court that army faked encounters in Siachen. Earlier JCO Phatte Bahadur Thapa, Havaldar Neer Bahadur Ale and Nayak Bhuwan Bahadur Thapa made similar admissions.

The court is recording summary evidence as a follow up to a Court of Inquiry which held Col K D Singh and Maj
R Lamba responsible for administrative lapses and recommended disciplinary action against Maj Surinder Singh for making exaggerated claims about strikes on enemy targets.

The next witness to depose before the court is Rifleman Yamraj Gurum.